1. The Field of the Invention
This invention relates to dental handpiece tubing couplers. More particularly, this invention relates to couplers for tubing used in dental handpieces, where the tubing has at least one lumen for channeling fluid, and the coupler can be configured for use with multi-lumen dental handpiece tubing.
2. Related Art
One of the primary uses for dental handpieces is drilling cavities in teeth. The drilling mechanism in these handpieces is a turbine-operated drill powered by a supply of fluid. This fluid is delivered through a conduit within the handpiece from a lumen of a tubing. The lumen of the tubing provides the attachment of the dental handpiece to at least the source of the fluid that is needed to power the turbine.
In the simplest handpiece systems, only one conduit and only one lumen run through the handpiece and the tubing, respectively. More typically, the dental handpiece has a plurality of conduits which are in fluid communication with a plurality of corresponding lumens within and along the tubing. These conduits and lumens independently channel fresh air to power the turbine, exhaust air from the turbine, and additional fluid or fluids for cooling the drill. In these more sophisticated systems the tubing establishes a connection between the dental handpiece and the discharge point for the exhaust fluid and the sources of the different fluids.
In even more complex systems, additional conduits through the dental handpiece in communication with corresponding lumens along the tubing are used for housing probing, illuminating and/or imaging elements such as optical fibers. In these more complex systems the tubing establishes a connection between the dental handpiece and the probing, illuminating and/or imaging instruments.
In any case, the tubing that connects the dental handpiece with at least a source of fluid to power the turbine is a flexible tube which in most embodiments has a plurality of lumens. Furthermore, tubing with these characteristics is usually available to practitioners in fixed lengths with their ends properly fitted with attachment elements such as threaded assemblies or assemblies configured for compression fitting.
In some instances, however, practitioners need to lengthen the tubing without disassembling the tubing ends that are provided with attachment elements. Due to the cost of the tubing, it is expensive to replace tubing of insufficient length. In other instances, practitioners might want to force at least one of the fluids to run through an auxiliary device, such as a water filter. Modified tubing that is properly assembled with such an auxiliary device is convenient for its use by practitioners, provided that such modified tubing can easily be connected in a leak-proof fluid communication with existing unmodified tubing.
Whether the goal is to lengthen tubing or to connect unmodified tubing to other tubing that has been assembled with an auxiliary device, the final length of tubing reaching the dental handpiece should effectively provide the necessary leak-proof channels for the proper operation of the dental handpiece. However, the presence of attachment elements at the ends of different pieces of tubing often makes them incompatible for their direct connection, unless the attachment elements are disassembled and replaced, or some tubing is cut and refitted with the appropriate attachment element.
Accordingly, there is a need for a coupler that permits the connection of dental handpiece tubing provided with attachment elements at its ends, such that no disassembling of the attachment elements or cutting of tubing is required.